Mercury information as much as possible

[puggrandma]

:)Good morning Has anyone sailed recently on the Mercury? I am interested in any information you can give me. Am thinking of doing the Baltimore run next December, but can't really make up my mind as to what type of cabin :rolleyes: I want. Have always done concierge class but would like more info on SS class, having trouble getting anything definitive

 

Thank You in advance

Pugsley's Grandma :D

[debkaysmith]

There are a lot of posters out there who are loyal fans of the Mercury. She is a beautiful ship, but a bit smaller than some of the others out there. That may be why we prefer her. There are no alternative dining rooms, but the main dining room is one of the nicest out there as far as we are concerned. Service is quite good and I find it to be one of the friendliest staff afloat. I much prefer the SS if you can swing it. The CC rooms are a bit smaller and the extra touches in the upgraded suites are nice. Let's hear what others have to say.

[lysolqn]

Just off Mercury 14-night Panama Canal cruise - Ft. Lauderdale/San Diego - (28th X cruise, fifth on Mercury) and we had a wonderful time. Staff and crew were incredibly friendly and accommodating, service was top notch, food was quite good in both the Palm Springs Cafe and the Manhattan Dining Room. The ship is immaculate, tastefully appointed, and with the exception of trying to access the dining room from Deck 5, easy to navigate your way around. Entertainment was the usual X fare - three production shows, a comedian, a couple of singers, pianist, violinist, plus the usual daytime assortment of trivia, bingo, line dancing, etc. X's enrichment series offered a naturalist, a Panama Canal historian and an estate planning attorney - all of whom were particularly good.

 

We first sailed Mercury during her inaugural year and now, some ten years later, she's still looking pretty good. She lacks a specialty restaurant and all the bells and whistles the newer mega-ships provide (a definite plus from our perspective), and admittedly she's showing some minor signs of age and wear and tear, but certainly nothing that should prevent anyone from enjoying a wonderful cruise. While we still prefer the M-class ships over the C-class, we wouldn't hesitate to sail Mercury again.

[raffles]

Just off Mercury 14-night Panama Canal cruise - Ft. Lauderdale/San Diego - (28th X cruise, fifth on Mercury) and we had a wonderful time. Staff and crew were incredibly friendly and accommodating, service was top notch, food was quite good in both the Palm Springs Cafe and the Manhattan Dining Room. The ship is immaculate, tastefully appointed, and with the exception of trying to access the dining room from Deck 5, easy to navigate your way around. Entertainment was the usual X fare - three production shows, a comedian, a couple of singers, pianist, violinist, plus the usual daytime assortment of trivia, bingo, line dancing, etc. X's enrichment series offered a naturalist, a Panama Canal historian and an estate planning attorney - all of whom were particularly good.

 

Thank you for the information on Mercury. We are going on her in February to the Panama Canal, also from Ft Lauderdale. This will be our first cruise with Celebrity and have read many differing views on Mercury therefore your opinions are very welcome. I would be grateful if you could give me any information on the ports of call - any recommendations either private or ship and anything to avoid.

We have an aft cabin - is this a good area for viewing the Canal - we will be wandering all over the ship but hope to relax and take in the views from our balcony.

 

Any information would be gratefully received :)

[lysolqn]

An aft cabin is great for the transit since it gives you a 180 degree view of where you've been, as well as full view of any ships following you through the locks. If you're interested in getting another perspective, spend some time on the promenade deck while going through one of the three locks.

 

As for the ports, we called on Cartegena, Puntarenas, Huatulco, Acapulco and Cabo San Lucas - with the exception of Cartegena, we had been to the other ports on previous canal cruises. We rarely take shore excursions and much prefer to wander on our own or hire a driver to take us around, however, there are certain places - including Cartegena, where for security reasons we opt for a ship's tour (Best of Cartegena, $54pp). Our visit confirmed that we would not have felt comfortable on our own in Cartegena, nor would we have felt comfortable hiring an independent driver, though many pax did just that. There's virtually nothing to see or do in Puntarenas. On one of our trips we took a ship's excursion to San Jose (another place we didn't want to be on our own) but lots of folks choose eco-tours in Costa Rica. Huatulco has a charming port/harbor area and you can feel relatively secure in hiring a taxi for a short tour of the "downtown" and its environs (did that on a previous cruise). You can do Acapulco by hiring a driver or by ship excursion. The pier is at the far end of town, adjacent to the old part of town, and it's a hefty walk to the tourist area. If you do hire a driver, be mindful that traffic is a very serious problem in Acapulco and you must leave plenty of time to return to the ship or it will leave without you. The naturalist on our cruise actually missed the ship because his taxi was stuck in traffic; luckily he was brought out to the ship on a small boat before we got too far from the pier. Cabo has a charm of its own and you can wander through town without a problem.

 

Hope this is of help. I'm glad to answer any other questions you may have.

[gillianrose]

An aft cabin is great for the transit since it gives you a 180 degree view of where you've been, as well as full view of any ships following you through the locks.

 

I preferred Mercury when she had NO aft cabins. Ships that have aft cabins close don't have enough PUBLIC viewing spaces aft.

 

I would like to ask a question about sewage odor. Was there any aboard anywhere?

[TourDeCruise]

Pugsley's Grandma,

 

First, I have to ask -- does your Pugsley live in Delaware? I work with someone who has a Pugsley & since he works in Delaware, I'm assuming he & Pugsley live in Delaware too.

 

We haven't been on the Mercury in several years, but we are booked on the October Panama Canal cruise that originates in San Diego and ends in Baltimore. We are looking forward to the Mercury being in Baltimore, even if it is for a short time.

 

Kathy

[puggrandma]

Kathy

 

No my Pugsley lives in New Jersey with his sister Yogi and brother Louie

[TourDeCruise]

Pugsley's Grandma,

 

Different Pugsley then. This Pugsley has a human "sister" and a cat "sister."

 

Happy Holidays to you, Pugsley, Louie, & Yogi!

 

Kathy

[lysolqn]

I preferred Mercury when she had NO aft cabins. Ships that have aft cabins close don't have enough PUBLIC viewing spaces aft.

 

I would like to ask a question about sewage odor. Was there any aboard anywhere?

 

Never noticed any odor at all.

[Lois R]

Hi, another Mercury fan here:)

I have sailed her 6 times and now that she is coming to the

east coast I have to find an itinerary and time frame to

sail her again:D

 

The crew and staff have always been wonderful and I hope

you enjoy your cruise:)

Oh, to the OP, if you would like to see some Mercury photos,

click on the links in my signature. I have quite a few from my

various Mercury sailings.

 

Merry Christmas everyone!

[Karynanne]

We are also Mercury fans. We've cruised on this ship 8 times...the longest being 29 days last Feb./Mar. from Austrailian to Honolulu.

 

We've been on most of the Celebrity ships, and enjoy them all...but Mercury has a very special elegant, feel to her. And I do agree, the crew is the friendliest of the fleet.

 

I wouldn't hesitate to be on this again.

[our turn]

Did I read somewhere that there is a drydock planned for the Mercury in the near future? Does anyone know when and what will be done? We are planning to cruise on the Mercury from Charleston in 2010.

[Prada Cowboy]

Did I read somewhere that there is a drydock planned for the Mercury in the near future? Does anyone know when and what will be done? We are planning to cruise on the Mercury from Charleston in 2010.

 

I just hope it will be before we sail here out of Charleston! I know, before a cruise ship can sail from Charleston port, it has to be uptdated to the maximum to sail out of the port the 1st time....it is one of the laws there! So we can all hope for a extensive overhall of cosmetics, before we get on board in 2010!

[our turn]

I just hope it will be before we sail here out of Charleston! I know, before a cruise ship can sail from Charleston port, it has to be uptdated to the maximum to sail out of the port the 1st time....it is one of the laws there! So we can all hope for a extensive overhall of cosmetics, before we get on board in 2010!

 

Great news - we are so excited to sail from a port just 4 hours from home!

[STUR]

SHE STILL IS A GREAT SHIP AND WE ARE BOOKED AGAIN MARCH 15TH R/T SAN DIEGO TO HOWAII

 

TUESDAY DECEMBER 2ND

Left home on time to catch our flight Northwest Air to Ft. Lauderdale. The round trip flight Detroit / Dayton was 1hr. late and we could not make the connection in Detroit .We were told they could not get us to Ft. Lauderdale till Wednesday Morning @ 12:35am. ( not acceptable) They then offered us to go US Airways through Philadelphia arriving in Ft. Lauderdale 9:00pm.

After arriving to find that our luggage had not arrived and the fact that we did not have luggage tags from US Air it made it harder to find our luggage (DID NOT SLEEP AT ALL TUESDAY NIGHT THINKING OF BEING ON A CRUISE FOR 14 DAYS WITH THE SMELLY CLOTHES ON OUR BACK)

Thank goodness Wednesday morning our bags were found in Phoenix

And we would be getting our luggage some time Wednesday night

IT DOES PAY TO TRAVEL A DAY OR TWO EARLY TO GO ON A CRUISE

Wednesday we met with A Cousin and my son and had lunch at the CHINA BISTO (Kosher Restaurant) in Aventura Fl.

For dinner we went to Dominic’s II (Pizza & Pasta in Boca Raton Fl. ) with cousins from Boca

Thursday Morning

We met up with past Cruise Critic (Kehlx2) Sylvia & Tom. We went to the Festival Sample Rd. Mall ( a flea market ) and The Sage Delicatessen for Lunch in Hallandale Bch. Fl. (you should have seen the look on Silvia & Tom’s faces to see the size of the sandwiches)

Also we had time to visit with my Son who lives in Ft. Lauderdale

My sister & Brother in-law arrived Thursday the day b/4 and had dinner with them and my son.

FRIDAY DECEMBER 5TH

Today we Boarded the Mercury about 12:30pm.. Every thing went very fast and smooth. We were given a cheap class of Champagne and directed to the Buffet on deck 11 for lunch @ 1:30pm, ,we could proceed to our cabin.

We had cabin # 8004 all the way forward on deck 8 (THIS CABIN IS TO DIE FOR BIG / BIG / BIG) If you do not have a Sky Suite or higher this cabin is a must.

The only down fall is lack of storage and if the drapes are not closed the heat of the day and the hot sun shines in , the cabin gets very hot

Our stateroom attendant is ESTRELLA who served us in the Sky Suite in Australia / New Zealand I gave her a small up front tip and she has been at our beck and call ( EXTRA PILLOWS/ SHE EVEN GOT US A EXTRA CHAIR AND, TABLE THE ROOM IS SO BIG) She brings Coffee / Juice / Bagel & Lox 6:30am. every morning. She also keeps a pitcher of iced tea in the cabin at all times

My wife was not happy with the Shower head. The next day we had a brand new shower head (Now that is Service)

SAT. / SUN. DECEMBER 6TH & 7TH

AT SEA

Saturday & Sunday were both Sea Days and both vary relaxing Saturday night was our first Formal Night (Most every one did get dressed up)

I did use the Health Spa And Pool Thalassotherapy Pool , A mineralized pool with powerful water jets to massage the entire body, the Pool assists the body’s cleansing process and provides relief for tired, aching muscles and joints. (I will try to use on all Sea days)

The welcome aboard Show and the show the second night were repeats of what we have already seen We did not attend the show the Sunday or Monday Night

MONDAY DECEMBER 8TH

CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA

Today Monday We had Breakfast in the main dinning room and then off to Cartagena, Colombia We hired a Cab for $50 for two hours to drive around new and old city and a little shopping As you see the cost of the new City our guide called it the Miami of Colombia

TUESDAY DECEMBER 9TH

Today was another sea day Just rested and enjoyed the comfort of the Mercury

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 10TH

Today Wednesday (WHAT WE CAME FOR THE CROSSING OF THE PANAMA CANAL SOME THING TO SEE) The cabin was just perfect with the big picture window to watch as we went through the Canal

At one point we had 6 of us in the cabin watching

THURSDAY DECEMBER 11TH

Today Thursday is another Sea day and Formal Night Went to the show Taste of Broadway again same as the past.

FRIDAY DECEMBER 12TH

PUNTARENAS, COSTA RICA

This morning up early and ready to leave for our tour

9:00am.

Costa Rica’s Ultimate Experience (CR-14) tour LONG DAY

We Boarded a comfortable Bus for a 2&1/2 hr. ride through the country side to the Britt Coffee Plantation Tour They explained how Coffee was made and put on a funny skit also served a good buffet lunch and than a long ride back to the ship arriving at 5:50pm., we rushed to eat dinner at 6:00pm. We had made arrangements to have a Challah Shabbats Bread and Kosher Wine at the table to say Kiddush. We did not go to the show again this evening. I went to bed early and my wife has been going to the Casino every night to play the penny & nickel slot machines she is up about $200 (Not Bad)

SATURDAY DECEMBER 13TH

AT SEA

Today is another sea day and vary restful and a beautiful sunny day. We met with new friends from Boston in the main dinning room for Breakfast and spend the morning on deck talking and soaking up some sun.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 14TH

HUATULCO, MEXICO

Today we got up early, went up to the 11th deck to have Waffle’s for breakfast. Had lunch in the main dinning room Fried Chicken and Red Snapper. ( Was Very Good ). After Lunch we got off the Ship and walked to the end of the pier to get a feel of HUATULCO, MEXICO. (We did not take a tour) Table mates and our new friend’s had taken the tours and said “This is a up and coming resort area the government is putting Millions of $ into building it up”.

After Dinner we went to the Dancing with the Stars Show

The daughter of one of our Table Mates was in the show And she was the big Winner.

MONDAY DECEMBER 15TH

ACAPULCO, MEXICO

Today we will eat Breakfast in the main Dinning Room (Steak & Eggs) We got off the Ship around 11,00am.. As we got off the ship we were bombarded by taxi driver to take us to town. We found Rosie who had taken us on a private tour Two years ago. We agreed on a price of $50.00 for a Two hr. tour and we told her where we did not want to go. At that point we saw our friends from Boston we asked if they wished to join us and they did. We then agreed on a price of $35.00 a couple (This time her Tour was much better than two years ago a little over 3hr. She took us where we wanted to go and we got great pictures from both sides of the bay, plus some nice shops to spend our money. As for last night’s Dinner, was good Leg of Lamb cooked just right.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 16TH

AT SEA

Today is our Second to last Sea day with nothing special to do. Have been playing Gin Rummy With My Wife And Can’t Win If I Try.

Today was vary relaxing, had a lovely dinner and went to the Holiday review show ( It was So So ) Guess what, my wife hit a Quarter jack pot on the $0.25 Slot machine and won $250.00.

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 17TH

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO

Up early this morning to meet or friends in the dining room for Breakfast and then off to CABO SAN LUCAS to look around.

The view from our forward stateroom window is just breath taking.

This will be our last Port of call as our next stop will be San Diego Day after Tomorrow. At 10:00am. got off the Ship to Shop and walk around in CABO, Bought a few last minute souvenirs and returned to the Ship @ 1:00 pm .Tonight will be our last Formal Night. I intend to wear a Light Blue Suit that I just had made to see how I feel not wearing a Tux. Not sure if I will take my Tux on our next Cruise to Hawaii in March This will also help lighten our luggage. (Not sure if I felt out of place or not But it sure was a lot more comfortable)

Dinner tonight was a little of a let down. Have been tasting the lobster since start of the cruise. Ordered two lobster’s (size of two thumbs put together (vary small). Not Firm & Soft to bite into)

The show tonight was the best a must to see even though we have seen it before.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 18TH

AT SEA

Today is our last sea day Looks like another beautiful day. Today was on the chilly side also had to think about packing to go home The morning / afternoon Brunch was something to behold and very good, much better than the old midnight buffet.

FRIDAY DECEMBER 19TH

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

It is now 6:15am. watching the skyline as we prepare to dock and have our last Breakfast in the main dinning room before disembarking to the airport to fly home.

The Airport was a zoo because of the last weekend b/4 the holidays, We arrived home to the cold around 1:00 am Sat. Morning and it sure felt good to sleep in our own bed

To Sum Up

The Mercury Has Been as Expected

The Bedding was a big disappointment. The bedding was to have been replaced less then two years ago. They must have purchased cheap bedding. We had to get an egg crate and this did not help much. Back in January in the Sky Suite the bedding was much better and new.

As for the food a little above good, but more than adequate (I WOULD SAY GOOD TO VERY GOOD)

The crew is the best (There isn’t anything they can not do for you).

Stewart Turnbull was our cruise director (for the second time and will see him again in March to Hawaii)

 

 

:) STUR DAYTON.OHIO

[San Diego Ellie]

We were on the same cruise Stur was on, and in our inside cabin, we found the bedding to be the most comfortable we have had in any of our ten cruises.

 

We also found the lobster tails I ordered much larger than he described (maybe I was just lucky, but I had 3 of them as I love lobster tails and never get them except when cruising.) My husband had the fillet that night, and it was also outstanding. That was the best meal, in our opinion.

 

We found lunches very mediocre at best, and dinners in the main dining room ranged from good to very good, none excellent except that formal night above. You could order a shrimp cocktail every night (or even two of them, as they only had three shrimp), and the shrimp were large and tasty. Since all the mass market cruises seem to have downgraded their food somewhat, the quality of the food was good enough for us and did not bother us at all.

 

Entertainment, in our opinion, was also mediocre, except for the first night review, and the two nights they had headliners. We were also not impressed with the entertainers in any of the lounges.

 

The pastries in the Cova Cafe are as awesome as ever. Try the chocolate filled crescent in the morning (8:30 AM to 10:30 AM approximatley), and the European pastries in the afternoon (starting about 3:00 or 3:30 for an hour and a half or two hours. Although there is a charge for the special coffees in the Cova Cafe, the pastries, morning and afternoon, are included with the cruise.

 

We found the coffee very improved; in the buffet it suited us just fine, and the main dining room coffee was also ok.

 

We had the best cabin stewart and wait staff for dinner that we have ever had. We found service quite good on the Mercury. All in all, it was a very good cruise.

[LMKohler]

Hi Everyone and especially Karynanne:)

 

We too are looking to book a cruise in 2010 out of Charleston on Mercury. One the attractions is this a port we can drive to. We have been on Mercury twice, in 1999 and 2001 when there were no aft balconies.

 

We are looking into a Sunset Veranda and I would be interested in more information if possible on these cabins.

 

Lois, we have never met -- but love hearing about your cruises and about how Mercury is your favorite. We are looking at the March 29th cruise out of Charleston-why don't you look at that one:D

 

Take care,

Lucy

[Lois R]

Hi Lucy:)....due to that 4 letter word I cannot ever sail

at the end of the month:eek:...you know...w o r k?:rolleyes:

We always close out each month on the first day

of the following month and those last few days are always

my busiest.

Thanks for the invitation though. I appreciate it:)

[Costest]

We leave in 1 week for same cruise in opposite direction. Enjoyed your review and a preview of what we'll encounter on shows, etc.

[raffles]

An aft cabin is great for the transit since it gives you a 180 degree view of where you've been, as well as full view of any ships following you through the locks. If you're interested in getting another perspective, spend some time on the promenade deck while going through one of the three locks.

 

As for the ports, we called on Cartegena, Puntarenas, Huatulco, Acapulco and Cabo San Lucas - with the exception of Cartegena, we had been to the other ports on previous canal cruises. We rarely take shore excursions and much prefer to wander on our own or hire a driver to take us around, however, there are certain places - including Cartegena, where for security reasons we opt for a ship's tour (Best of Cartegena, $54pp). Our visit confirmed that we would not have felt comfortable on our own in Cartegena, nor would we have felt comfortable hiring an independent driver, though many pax did just that. There's virtually nothing to see or do in Puntarenas. On one of our trips we took a ship's excursion to San Jose (another place we didn't want to be on our own) but lots of folks choose eco-tours in Costa Rica. Huatulco has a charming port/harbor area and you can feel relatively secure in hiring a taxi for a short tour of the "downtown" and its environs (did that on a previous cruise). You can do Acapulco by hiring a driver or by ship excursion. The pier is at the far end of town, adjacent to the old part of town, and it's a hefty walk to the tourist area. If you do hire a driver, be mindful that traffic is a very serious problem in Acapulco and you must leave plenty of time to return to the ship or it will leave without you. The naturalist on our cruise actually missed the ship because his taxi was stuck in traffic; luckily he was brought out to the ship on a small boat before we got too far from the pier. Cabo has a charm of its own and you can wander through town without a problem.

 

Hope this is of help. I'm glad to answer any other questions you may have.

 

Thank you so much for all the valuable information. I will take your advice on when to use the ships excursions. I expect this cruise will be a "once in a lifetime" for us - mainly due to the distance (and the cost:o). We don't want to go home feeling we have missed out seeing anything "unmissable".

Hubby is keen to do one of the eco tours, mango swamps and all that but I have a real phobia about snakes:o, seriously it's not just a dislike and much as I would love to see everything else including the crocs, the thought that my husband would have to arrange to have me shipped home in a lead coffin after my heart attack is a major issue:eek: - unfortunately he probably wouldn't go on the tour on his own.

I have read about the Embra Indian village, do you have any recommendations?

 

We are not too sure what to expect weather wise in February, presumably warm/hot? We will probably be leaving and ariving back in Scotland in freezing temperatures so don't quite know what to pack.

 

Sorry to keep asking questions, would it be better if I gave you my email address rather then "hog" this thread?

Thank you so much for all your assistance.